class descriptions

Traditional Hot Yoga

Traditional Hot Yoga is a therapeutic hatha yoga method that engages the entire body during every session. This is the yoga series is for anyone looking to lose weight, get stronger, heal an injury, eliminate back pain, stay active, lower blood pressure, recover from trauma, the list goes on. No previous yoga experience is required. Traditional Hot Yoga is a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. It is designed for the beginner student, but also challenges the most veteran practitioners. The postures work systematically to bring your body into optimal balance. Class is 90 minutes and the room is heated to 105 degrees.

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Inferno Hot Pilates

Using Pilates and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) principles, Inferno Hot Pilates is a challenging, full body, low impact, high intensity work¬out. Inferno Hot Pilates strengthens muscles and burns fat — all without the pounding of a high impact work¬out. It is designed for all fitness levels. Classes are high energy, and done to music. Expect to work hard, have fun, and see results very quickly! Class is 60 minutes and the room is heated to 95 degrees.

The Intermediate yoga class

The Intermediate class is a bridge between the Traditional Hot Yoga class and the Advanced series of the same lineage. This class is recommended for students who love the Traditional Hot Yoga method and have the desire to further develop their practice and explore new postures. We rely on familiarity with the postures that are practiced in the Beginners sequence. Students who join us in the Intermediate class currently practice three or more times a week, and have at least one solid year of practicing Traditional Hot Yoga. Class is 90 minutes and the room is heated to 100 degrees.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is an all levels 60 minute class. Similar to the Traditional Hot Yoga series this class is accessible to all bodies and ability levels. It differs from Traditional Hot Yoga in that Yin is not an ancient practice, it does not have a lineage or specific series. Yin postures are held for a longer period of time, two to five minutes and are done on the floor. Similar to Traditional Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga has a strong emphasis on anatomy and proper alignment. It works to promote flexibility in areas often considered non-malleable - the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. The energy pathways of the body known as meridians are stimulated allowing the energy of the body flow with freedom and ease. Class is 60 minutes and the room is warm.

Half Moon with Hands to FeetArda Chandrasana with Padahastasana

This posture warms up, strengthens, realigns, and improves flexibility of the spine. It helps alleviate lower back pain, indigestion and constipation, and bad posture. Please note: the warm up to Padahastasana is the only time during class when booty shaking is not only allowed, but encouraged.

AwkwardUtkatasana

A tremendous strengthening posture for the upper arms, abdominal muscles, hips, thighs, and calves. Awkward improves flexibility of the hip joints and circulation in the knees and ankles. It also may provide relief to those suffering lower back pain and rheumatism or arthritis in the legs. And for you yoginis, Awkward pose strengthens all the muscles that allow you to hover while using a public restroom.

EagleGarurasana

It’s simple: just twist your arms and legs like ropes while sitting in an imaginary chair, sucking your stomach in, bending backward, and balancing on one foot. Well, maybe it’s not that simple. But the payoff is big. Eagle opens and improves the mobility of all the major joints in your body—hips, ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists—while firming your legs, arms, and abdomen. Added bonus, it also improves your sexual vitality and control.

Standing Head to KneeDandayamana Janushirasana

Standing Head to Knee is probably one of the most intimidating postures for beginners. Always remember, it’s mind over matter, and, if you try the right way, you’ll get 100% benefit. Standing Head to Knee strengthens the muscles around the knee joint and in the abdomen and arms. It improves circulation, digestion, and flexibility in hamstrings, shoulders, and entire back. It also improves concentration, determination, memory, and patience while relieving nervousness.

Balancing StickTuladandasana

In just 10 seconds, Balancing Stick strengthens your heart muscle, improves your lung capacity, helps develop balance, and reduces symptoms of asthma. It also stretches and strengthens the spine and shoulders and firms the arms, hips, abdomen, buttocks, and upper thighs. It is also good mental conditioning, boosting your focus and control.

After Standing Bow and Balancing Stick, it feels good to just hang upside down and take a little break, right? Wrong! You’ve got to lock your knees and then pull, as hard as possible, to stretch your body straight down from the lower spine toward the floor. Do that, and you’ll be rewarded with improved flexibility in the hips, hamstrings, calves, pelvis, ankles, and lower spine. Your abdominal organs and sciatic nerve will also thank you. This posture also brings blood to the brain, stimulates the hypothalamus, and helps combat depression.

TriangleTrikanasana

Triangle is a total body workout, requiring you to engage every muscle in your body. It will work your circulatory, cardiovascular, digestive, immune, and reproductive systems all at once. Triangle pose opens the hips, firms the thighs, strengthens the arms and shoulders, straightens the spine, and relieves lower back pain. It can also help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

This posture improves the flexibility of the shoulder, hips, and spine, relieving sciatica. It stretches and strengthens the legs, shoulders, arms, back, and abdomen. It also boosts blood flow to the brain, improving mental clarity and memory and reducing depression and headaches. This posture massages the pancreas, liver, gall-bladder, kidneys, spleen, intestines, gonads, and bladder. It is good for diabetes and digestive problems, including constipation and dyspepsia.

TreeTadasana

Tree pose will improve your posture, balance, and grace. Tree pose strengthens the oblique muscles, helping prevent hernia. It also serves as natural traction for the spine, relieving tension in the neck and shoulders, and increasing the cushioning function of the intervertebral discs. Like Triangle pose, Tree pose improves hip mobility.

Toe StandPandangustasana

To master Toe Stand, you’ll need to learn not only to how to balance your body, but your mind. This posture strengthens the stomach and joints while combating arthritis and rheumatism in the knees, ankles, and feet. It also helps develop the mental balance between determination and patience.

Dead Body PoseSavasana

Though it’s called the Dead Body Pose, Savasana will actually reenergize your system by allowing your circulation to return to normal. Try to remain completely still to improve your concentration and reduce nervousness, anxiety, irritability, and hypertension.

Wind RemovingPavanamuktasana

Wind Removing pose improves all aspects of digestion by massaging the colon, normalizing production of stomach acid, reducing production of excess gas, and stimulating the liver, small and large intestines, and spleen. This posture can provide relief to those suffering from constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It also alleviates lower back pain and improves flexibility in the hip joints and neck.

CobraBhujangasana

Like all of the spine strengtheners, Cobra pose relieves back pain (and spinal disorders, including arthritis) by improving spinal strength and flexibility. Cobra pose targets the lower back, in particular, while improving functioning of the large and small intestines, liver, kidneys, and spleen. Cobra pose may also give relief to women suffering menstrual problems. If you keep a tight cobra tail, you will also strengthen your legs and hips.

LocustSalabhasana

Locust pose targets the upper back, building strength and improving flexibility. Like Cobra pose, Locust pose improves functioning of digestive organs. It also restores flexibility in the hip and shoulder joints and firms the abdomen, hips, legs, buttocks, and arms. The positioning of the arms also relieves tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome. At first, this posture may seem impossible, but, remember, you can do anything for 10 seconds!

Full LocustPoorna-Salabhasana

Ever have dreams that you’re flying? Now’s your chance to try it out with your eyes wide open. Full locust pose targets the middle of the spine, improving strength and flexibility. Like Locust pose, it improves digestive functioning. This posture helps to open the rib cage, allowing the lungs to expand and take in more oxygen.

BowDhanurasana

Bow pose is a 360-degree backward bend against gravity. It works the entire spine, improving strength and flexibility. Like all of the spine strengtheners, it improves digestive functioning, relieves menstrual problems, and opens the chest to boost lung capacity. Bow pose is also great for opening the shoulder and pelvic girdles.

Fixed FirmSupta Vajrasana

Fixed firm pose strengthens and improves flexibility of the lower spine, knees, and ankles. It helps restore the full range of motion to the knee joints. It also firms and strengthens the thighs, calf muscles, and abdomen, boosts immune functioning, relieves sciatica, and combats symptoms of rheumatism, edema, arthritis in the legs. This posture is an excellent reminder that, whether you do 1% or 100% of the posture, you get 100% of the benefit as long as you try the right way.

Half TortoiseArdha Kurmasana

By bringing your head below your heart, this posture increases blood circulation to the brain. It provides relaxation and a little boost of energy to get you through the rest of class. Half tortoise pose also stretches the shoulders and spine—it’s natural human traction!

CamelUstrasana

Camel pose is the deepest backward bend of the series. It stretches the entire front side of the body, improving digestive functioning and opening the rib cage to allow expansion of the lungs. It compresses the spine, improving flexibility of the neck and spine. Camel pose can also provide mental and psychological benefits, combatting anxiety and depression.

RabbitSasangasana

Rabbit pose is the deepest forward bend of the series. It extends the entire spine, removing tension from the back and neck and improving posture and mobility. Rabbit pose is also a deep front side compression, improving digestion and strengthening and firming the abdomen. In addition to physical benefits, Rabbit pose may help nurture the nervous system and relieve depression.

Head to Knee with StretchingJanushirasana with Paschimotthanasana

By compressing the front side of the body and extending and lengthening the back side of the body, Head to Knee pose improves digestion and kidney function and helps to balance blood sugar levels. It also relieves sciatic nerve pain and improves flexibility of the ankles. Stretching pose is a deep hamstring stretch.

Spine TwistArdha Matsyendrasana

Spine Twist is your final chance to wring out the spine from top to bottom. This posture improves spinal elasticity and flexibility while increasing circulation and nutrition to spinal nerves, veins, and tissues. Spine twist pose relieves a number of back problems, including rheumatism, sciatica, and lower back pain. The benefits also extend past the spine to the hip and shoulder joints, where flexibility will improve.

Blowing in FirmKapalbhati in Vajrasana

Time to clean house. Blowing in Firm removes exhalable toxins from the body, while strengthening the core, improving circulation and digestion, and boosting energy.

Inferno Hot Pilates Correction/cues

*click each photo to enlarge

Spinal Articulation

Warm up for the spine, knees and hips. This starts you moving with your breath - every movement is initiated with an inhale/exhale‍Ankles directly under the kneesFeet hip width apart, weight distributed evenlyExhale and peel the back off the floorPress the hip bones to the ceilingExhale, slowly lower down

Roll the Marble

Creates the hip-to-rib connectionBreathing from the rib cage‍Ankles directly under the kneesFeet hip width apartHands in a triangle shape on top of the pelvisRoll the imaginary between the index fingers and thumbsBig inhale, the imaginary marble rolls to the fingersBig exhale, the imaginary marble rolls to the thumbs

Seal Kick Crunches

Targets rectus abdominis, front of the body, inner thighs, glutes. Stretches the hamstring.‍Legs straight up in the airLower back presses into the matLower back never comes off the floorToes pointed, legs turned out slightly in “Pilates’ first”Straighten your legs, pull your knee toward your chest by grabbing the ankle or behind knee, double exhaleUpper body lifts off the floorTuck the chin‍Neck issues: Keep head and shoulders on the floor

Sideline Plank

Strengthens the arms, shoulders, core and legs.‍Elbow bent and directly below your shoulder, double check, stack the shouldersBoth feet flexed, lined up one in front of the other (protects knee joint)Stack the hips, top hip wants to wobble, don’t let itHead in line with spineSqueeze butt, belly and legsExtend top arm toward the ceiling

Forearm Plank

Activates the transverse abdominis and glutes. Activates all the muscles to create good posture.

Wide Legged Half Burpees

Mountain Climbers

Elevates heart rate. Engages lower abs and front of the body.‍From high plank positionPull the knee toward the chest, alternate legs, keep one leg suspendedExhale as the knee comes forwardHead and chest up, neutral spineWrists under the shoulders

Sumo Squats

Targets inner thighs, glutes and core muscles.‍Feet wider than hip widthToes turned outKnees over ankleSit down hips slightly higher than kneeNeutral spineShoulder blades back and downHead and chest upFingertips on the mat or elbows on inner part of knee capHips move up and down with slow controlled pumps.

Tricep pushups

Activates triceps and chest‍Pushup positionTuck the tailbonePull the belly button inElbows by the rib cageShoulders away from the earsHands under the shoulders or by the chestHead upInhale down, exhale, pushup

‍Wide arm pushups

All fours (variations)

Develops compact muscles, shaping of the glutes. Small pumps or full range of motion.‍On all fours, elbows downFlex footKnees under hipsHips square to matHips stationaryPull belly inNeutral spine, hand and chest up